10 Snowboard Backpack Essentials

Food

Active exercise, such as snowboarding, burns energy, which needs to be replenished by food. This food can consist of just about anything that can be easily eaten on the mountain but foods which give a quick increase in energy, such as sugary foods, are best. Bananas and cookies or biscuits work well, as does chocolate if you can stop it from freezing.

Ratchet tool

A handy screwdriver on the mountain is no match for a dab of screw locking compound and a good turn off the mountain, however, there will most likely be a time where you find your bindings snaking slightly as they loosen. This can be easily solved by tightening them up with the handy ratchet tool that you remembered to stuff in your pack. These tools usually come with a range of bits to suit different sized screws, as well as a small spanner or two to allow adjustments to other parts of the binding.

Water

Snowboarding is a great form of exercise. What many people fail to realize, however, is that they are losing the same, if not more fluid through perspiration as when they exercise off the mountain. The reason they may not realize is due to the cold weather and the fact that as they perspire, the moisture is wicked away by the high-tech fabrics that they are wearing; as such, dehydration can be a swift and unexpected foe to your enjoyment. By carrying water with you on the mountain, you ensure that you can replenish your internal supply and keep riding for longer without becoming dehydrated. Many people carry water in a special water-pouch with a hose and bite-valve so they can drink without having to remove their pack. These devices are very handy but a bottle is just as sufficient. Ensure that your bottle or pouch is insulated to avoid the water from freezing.

MP3 Player

There is nothing quite like tweaking a tasty 180 tailgrab off a kicker or haring down a powder run with some music to augment the whole experience. Be it floaty electronica, hard rock or metal, laid-back hip-hop or just some classics, music will make your snowboarding experience all the sweeter. Load up your MP3 player with your favourite tunes, grab a couple of spare batteries and get shredding!

Sun-screen

Snow, being white, is a very reflective surface onto which the sun beats. The sunlight is reflected from the snow and straight into your face. Peaked caps aren’t going to help you here. If you go out without sunscreen then you’re likely to end up with, at best, “panda eyes” were your goggles have been and , at worst, nasty, sore burns on the parts that were unprotected. Either way, you’re unlikely to be a hit with the opposite sex if you get skin cancer, so make sure you slap that cream on!

Lip-balm

Cold weather and biting winds are prevalent up on the mountain. Because of this, it is easy for unprotected parts of the body to lose their moisture as it evaporates. When they become to dry they can split and become painful. This is most pronounced on the lips and face as they are the most likely areas to be exposed. To counter this, it is a good idea to have a small tube or tin of lip-balm with you to ensure that your lips don’t dry out and crack. Apply liberally and often.

Two-way radios

The best part of snowboarding, by far, is being with your friends. However, if you ride at a different speed to them or simply get a little lost, it helps to have a two-way radio to keep in touch. Cheaper units generally have less range so try to go for a set which states that it transmits the furthest; mountain terrain can be very vast in some areas. Another handy feature to have is a recharging station and rechargeable battery packs as this will circumvent the need to buy and carry lots of batteries.

Camera

There is no denying that mountains offer some of the best views in the world. Some stunning vistas can be captured just by having a simple point-and-shoot camera available when you go up the mountain. What’s a holiday if you can’t share your memories with others (against their will or otherwise)?!

Goggle wipe

There will come a time when your goggles will begin to fog up, leaving you peering through a thick fog of condensation and trying desperately to de-mist them without getting snow inside. There are sprays available to help in the fight against fogging but these seemingly come second to having a good goggle wipe and trying as hard as you can to keep your goggles on your face. Many goggles come in microfibre bags which are designed not to scratch the lens as you clean them. If your goggles did not come with such a bag, make sure you seek a microfibre cloth out and only use it for cleaning your goggles. Worse than fogged goggles are scratched goggles and lenses can be awfully expensive.

Salt

Although this may not seem like the most obvious choice of things to take with you on the mountain, it can have it’s uses. It is essential if you are looking to build a kicker or jump to allow the slightly melted snow to mesh together and provide a sturdy structure off which to trick. It is also essential for ensuring a smooth run in so that the kicker can be hit cleanly.